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LOCAL NEWS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2014
THE
BY JILL FITZSIMMONS berry said. The city's proper-
editor@qvpr.com ty taxes alone have increased
four fold in the last seven
At its regular meeting on years, he said.
Tuesday, the Quincy City The 2015 budget estimates
Council is expected to ap-property taxes to generate
prove a $9.1 million operating $3.4 million and sales taxes
budget for next year. to generate $2 million for the
The 2015 proposed budget city.
also includes $3.6 million in Some of the other projects
the city's capital budget for slated fornextyearinclude:
the construction of a new po-: -The city budgeted
lice station and city hall. $175,000 for the design of
The project will be a mix of a public safety facility on
renovation and new construc- city-owned property north of
tion, with plans calling for the the railroad tracks. The un-
demolition of the former City manned station will house
fire station and a house next a city fire engine, and it also
to it, as well as the renovation may house police and emer-
of the former city library. The gency response equipment,
police department will take Hemberry said. The citywas
up much of the current city to have a meeting this week
hall, while city administration with an architect about the
will be moved to the former building's design, he said.
library.. .About $500,000 is bud-
The project should be putgeted for the development of
out to bid during the first a recreation center. The city
quarter of next year, and con- plans to purchase property for
struction would go into 2016, the center and begin its design
Mayor Jim Hemberry said. phase in 2015. "I'm confident
The city is coming off ofwe'll be buying some property
a busy construction year that next year," Hemberry said.
saw the completion of a new .About $220,000 will be
animal shelter and a commu- spent on sidewalk improve-
nity stage at Lauzier Park as ments, most of which will
well as several large street be along highways 28 and
projects, including final im- 281, Hemberry said, Another
provements made to Division $260,000 is budgeted for the
Street. construction of a walking path
Sales taxes, which have connecting students to Monu-
been increasing over the years ment Elementary School.
because of new construction .The city also has applied
in Quincy, have paid for these to the state Transportation
recent capital projects, Hem- Improvement Board for a
Kurtis J. Wood~Post-Register
Above: The front office in the
police station was built in the
1950s when the department
had five officers. Today it has
17 officers. To the right: The
department has two temporary
holding cells but decommis-
sioned one to use for storage.
$3.5 million grant that would
be used to make traffic im-
provements to 13th Avenue. If
the city receives the grant, it
would contribute just under $1
million, Hemberry said. The
city has discussed several op-
tions that would help resolve
congestion at the intersection
of 13th Avenue and Highway
28; however, the grant would
help determine the best option
to pursue, Hemberry said.
For the last six years, the
council has focused on mak-
ing improvements using in-
creasing tax revenues gener-
ated by the new businesses
moving to town, Hemberry
said.
Many of the city's facilities,
including city hall and the po-
lice station, were built in the
1950s, he said. The new fa-
cilities should last the city for
the next 60 years, he added.
"We're trying to make things
better for the people who live
here," Hemberry said.
BY K.C. MEI-IAFFEY
Wenatchee World
EPHRATA- After giving the
go-ahead to build a new $7.11
million dispatch center to the
Multi-Agency Communications
Center board recently, Grant Coun-
ty commissioners were informed
last week of an excellent bond rat-
hag.
The national rating agency Stan- er Road in Moses Lake, and will
dard & Poor's gave the county an include improved electronic and
AA- rate, which should lower the radio co nunications equipment.
interest rates for a 24-year bond. She said no new taxes are being
Commissioner Cindy Carter said assessed to build the dispatch cen-
the county's current dispatch cen- ter.
ter, known as MACC, is in an old Carter said the county expects to
Armory building near the county sell the bonds this month, and be-
fairgrounds in Moses Lake. gin construction as soon as possi-
The bond will pay for a new, ble. She said it will take a year to
larger facility to be built on Wheel- 18 months to complete.